The League Scene

AJ and Rhys dissect a lot of chaos within rugby league amid all the carnage amid the race for the finals.

On the program

- Immediate reaction to Brandon Smith's charge sheet

- Titans sack Des and give Hannay and co. a chance

- South Sydney rookies shine as the Dragons search for answers as the dam wall breaks

- How good are these Canberra Raiders hey! Absolutely incredible stuff as we spend an extended period detailing EVERYTHING about this game of football

- Big win for the Storm without their rep stars as questions linger around the Dogs pack

- Scorigami as Manly keep their finals hopes alive as we unpack what has gone wrong so quickly at Redcliffe

- Titans problems - can Hannay and Sattler fix it while the Warriors start to rejuvenate... with a 60 minute effort

- Parramatta show their improvement while the Roosters get complacent or did Parra give the blueprint to knock them out of the finals

- Is Reece Walsh cocky or is Paul Crawley not embracing new talent as Newcastle fall off with a wimper

- We're back to 05' with a try of all time! While the Cowboys show us what they are made of

- NRLW Round 8 Review

- LOLCOW of the Week

AJ is joined by Johnny Lew from the Rugby League Pomcast to deep dive the crisis engulfing the game of rugby league in the UK and England.

We've been asked numerous questions as we've been the only Australian news outlet to cover the complexities of the game in the UK and on the program we leave no stone unturned.

This edition covers

- Salford CRISIS TLDR! It is an absolute mess and describing it in this description would be a nightmare

- The drama of Nigel Wood and his resurrection after destroying the game of rugby league in his previous stint.

- How flawed is the criteria to return teams to Super League and the blatant conflicts of interest on the panel.

- The increase of Super League from 12 to 14 teams and the ridiculous criteria used to judge teams.

- How the RFL wants to "choke out" the French teams from competing in Super League

- On the positives - we look at England's chances in the Ashes and the NRL's big broadcast deal which is impending.

AJ and Rhys recap the second of our Indigenous Rounds’ as the race for September footy heats up with inches determining ebbs and flows to decide who will be in finals contention and who will battle for the wooden spoon.

On the show

- Penrith and Melbourne deliver one of the games of the season with an incredible golden point thriller. The rise of the tall leapers and we debate for the final time, the issue of blockers.

- Warriors attack sputters into the finals as we give praise to the Dragons resilience for hanging in there with 14 players for 45 minutes.

- Roosters show their muscle as we debate the Walker/Savala/DCE log-jam that is fast approaching. The emergence of Naufahu Whyte as the Bulldogs premiership credentials are again questioned.

- A big win for the Sharks over the Titans as we examine the impact of Cam McInnes’ ACL injury. The big time involvements of Mawene Hiroti and why do the Titans do this to us week after week, season after season.

- Brisbane overcome a 14-point deficit to come from behind against the Dolphins to significantly dent the Redcliffe finals charge. The rise of Reece Walsh as a big on-ball player.

- Souths v Parramatta engage in a season defining tank bowl as the Rabbitohs show with some troops they can deliver as the Eels deliver their worst performance of the last seven weeks.

- Manly start fast but get run down by the May’s and Fainu’s in a dominant resurgence by the Tigers at Allianz.

- Plus we have a dozen questions for the Knights after their disaster at the hands of the Cowboys, meanwhile heap praise on new NRL referee Jarrod Cole.

- NRLW recap

- LOLCOW of the Week

AJ and Rhys are back as usual to recap a highly controversial and impactful week of the NRL season. There were highs for some and catastrophic lows for others.

On the show

- How do Brisbane survive without their halves + Cobbo and can Melbourne still have that killer instinct to lead into the finals

- Penrith flex their premiership muscle against a Knights side that just struggled to compete against the four time premiers

- Canberra show their class as Ethan Strange shows he has it over Lachie Galvin while Manly give us more questions than answers

- Dragons deliver the big upset over the Sharks as we put the blowtorch over the black, white and blue as they look to make the finals

- We analyse the 10 minute hell period and then how the Roosters completely massacred the Dolphins as the Phins finals chances hang by a thread

- Bulldogs prove they can win in the rain as we question the Warriors credentials

- SPOON BOWL ELECTRIC BOOGALOO - Souths move away from the chaos as the Titans let golden opportunities slip as they prepare to welcome back a rugby international

- After jokes that nearly get Rhys cancelled - the Cowboys ride in and fail to execute the heist against the Eels as Liam Kennedy's performance gets examined.

- LOLCOW of the Week

AJ and Rhys analyse a chaotic round of NRL action. As usual there's a lot to get through but here are some of the juicy bits for you to analyse.

- Penrith trainer gets in the way! Did it cost the Titans dearly? Also the Tigers get fancy in trash talking but did it cross the line?

- Thursday sees a big win for the Storm to keep top 2 hopes alive but question whether the retooled spine can keep it together as Stefano gets revenge against a determined Parra pack who overtried at times.

- Dolphins pull it out despite Farnworth's hammy blows as we put the Wahs under the gun.

- Brisbane show their stuff against a trying Souths side but plenty still to do for Broncos fans!

- Controversy central as the Panthers scrape past the Titans in golden point. Some questionable Bunker rulings has AJ ropable and gives his scathing assessment on officiating.

- Dragons upset the Raiders as Fogarty and King-Togia switch roles for an afternoon! LKT forces four dropouts while Fogarty had his worst performance of the season.

- Roosters keep their finals hopes alive as Walker and co. prove their wet-weather runners. Manly look off the pace and need to pull a position switch to keep their chances

- Tigers with the upset of the year as the Bulldogs appear off their game and allergic to the rain!

- Sharks find a way to be mud runners as the Cowboys put together the worst wet weather display we have seen

- NRLW Magic Round Recap

- LOLCOW of the Week

On the show this week

- AJ goes in on the Roosters goal-line defence and forward rotation. Can Melbourne get it done in the regular season. Harry Grant proves to be the constant in the Storm.

- North Queensland find their grove as their pack finds some sort of groove as their rotation continues to raise eyebrows. St George somehow show their good side and bad side in the same 80 minutes.

- A defence of Reece Walsh’s performance as Parramatta have a position battle under their noses across several positions.

- Gold Coast deliver an ambush only Des Hasler can deliver in game 500. But, we raise significant questions over the Warriors premiership aspirations.

- Penrith seem to get themselves back on track! But… as much as the Tigers have significantly improved, has their roster got enough in them to continue their improvement or is it too late?

- The less we say about 7:30 the better, Souths somehow put up a brave fight against Cronulla who seemed to lack that killer instinct they showed against the Dolphins and the Roosters? Why was that the case?

- Canberra flick the second half switch and thrash the Knights as AOB’s halves roulette hits another hurdle. We analyse Canberra’s premiership hopes.

- Canterbury find their groove finally with Galvin and co. What does this mean for the Dogs title charge. Plus a ruthless takedown of Manly’s aspirations now Haumole is sidelined for the season.

AJ recaps a busy week of the NRL season which saw plenty of highs, some lows and embarrassing moments to cap off what is fast approaching the run to the finals this season.

On the program this week!

- Dolphins show their attacking muscle with another big score over the Cowboys. Is the Todd Payten era over up north and who is the replacement

- Cronulla flex their big boy pants with a strong performance over the Roosters. It's an effort that leaves AJ seething with several Roosters players, who's in the hot seat?

- Dylan Edwards returns as the Panthers run riot over the South Sydney Rabbitohs who continue to battle injury and a multitude of problems across their squads.

- Canberra show their muscle despite a poor first half, running riot against a hapless Parramatta side who lose their shining light to injury.

- Galvin time as the Bulldogs escape St George Illawarra in controversial circumstances at Accor Stadium. We review the contentious calls and see if they got it right or wrong.

- Manly run away with it over Melbourne before an edgy final 15 minutes was decided by one lapse in kick pressure.

- TANK BOWL! The Tigers and the Titans play the worst game of the season, as AJ rips into the coaching of the Titans and Des Hasler's shower tantrum.

- LEKA HALASIMA YOU STAR! What a performance to bring the Warriors off the floor against a sick Newcastle side who battled hard for 80 mins.

- LOLCOW OF THE WEEK TO COME!

AJ and Rhys are back together to review a crazy week of football as we see where each team is at, plus our reaction to the week's big stories.

On the show

- Origin III Review - every big talking point, plus Cam Munster's bravery in a week of adversity. Is Laurie Daley Safe? Plus, Nathan Cleary owning his Origin shortcomings

- Nicho Hynes owning the clutch - a much needed victory over the Dolphins for the Sharks. Plus our concerns over the Phins heading into the clutch.

- Melbourne's unheralded stars are getting the job done in Newcastle. Plus, our instant reaction to the carnage involving Adam O'Brien and Kalyn Ponga.

- Roosters find a way to grind out a win with a team effort against the Dragons. Plus, we're critical of the ' were there for the taking.

- Ugly football in Townsville justifies Ciraldo's calls to return Galvin to the 17? Plus, what is happening in Townsville??

- Tanah Boyd owning the halfback jersey and Taine Tuaupiki coming out party as the Tigers struggle to find the best combination of 17 once again.

- Parramatta own it against Penrith for 40 mins as the rub of the green goes Penrith's way - did Kautoga get illegally taken out of the game + are the Eels sabotaging their season at the expense of rebuilding?

- Titans are struggling - we expose their shortcomings as Brisbane grind out a win without their alpha.

- NRLW R2 wrap

- LOLCOW of the Week.

AJ is joined by our favourite UK export in Johnny Lew, to discuss a multitude of factors going on in our great game. There's so much happening that this is declared an Origin III free zone.

On the show this week

- RFL carnage - what is going on in the English game

- Friday Night Footy - Why Galvin isn't the lone person to blame for the Bulldogs nightmare as the Broncos unleash Payne Haas' ultra-ego aka Xavier Willison.

- Saturday saw the Raiders pull off another narrow victory against the Dragons as the NRL was fully introduced (once again) to Kaeo Weekes. We also dissect THAT QUESTION asked to Shane Flanagan.

- Melbourne pulled off a brave win against the odds in Townsville as we praise their youth program that they have run in previous seasons. We also debate whether this is a performance that the Cowboys would rue.

- Sunday saw AJ devastated as his Roosters dropped two valuable points against the Tigers. We look at the rise of the Fainu clan as the new nucleus of the club seems to form. Plus, our host endulges in praise for Naufahu Whyte as he matches against his former team-mate Terrell May.

- We went to Brookvale Oval next as Turbo shone brightest as Manly continue their hot form at Brookvale over a Souths side Johnny rips apart as they leave his countryman Lewis Dodd out in the cold... AGAIN!

- AJ analyses the referees and what they are looking for in the ruck.

- NRLW R1 recap

- Super League Recap

- LOLCOW (or DICKHEAD) of the Week

AJ celebrates Beanies for Brain Cancer Round in style as he hosts the program solo while Rhys is on assignment.

On the program

- Reaction to the Origin squads

- Coming to terms with all the mid-seasons signings as AJ goes ballistic at the Broncos handling of Selwyn Cobbo

- Penrith's coming of age as the young handles the veteran and questions over Galvin's involvement linger

- Manly show up the Tigers as the joint-venture undergo major spinal surgery

- Canberra still struggling to put teams away as they hold off the fast finishing Knights

- Brisbane take care of the Wahs in style was Walsh and Shibasaki run amuck, also answer the Wahs injury woes - we also question the Warriors pack

- The Dragons show their muscle in the wake of social media hate as Parramatta lack speed in their offence

- Hammer and Katoa run riot in Brisbane as Souths defence completely surrender

- Melbourne show their premiership muscle as the Sharks honesty session proves fruitless

- Scott Drinkwater masterclass as the Cowboys run riot before a near collapse see the Titans come so near, yet so far

We also pay tribute to our dear friend Yvonne Sampson who departs for maternity leave, we wish her all the very best and cannot thank her enough for her support of this program and of our dreams!